Family stays together, right?
by BBgal1
Summary: After DOTM. I was just a normal 17 year old when when my family died because of the Decepticons. I should had known that it would happen. Soon I find a bot in the woods and help him. now I'm being held prisoner by the gov. and my family is being taken away. I won't let it happen, but what happens when I find out that they aren't my real family. Why is my life so messed up right no
1. The bot

**Hey guys! My first Story! Sorry that its short but its the first chapter and I have more on its way soon. If you guys have any confusion, please tell me so i can prevent that from happenin' again. Hope you like it!**

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I ran over to where the giant figure had fallen with the little ones close behind me. As we passed through some bushes, we came right up to the figure as I removed my pistol from my holster on my thigh. I was aware that my pistol wouldn't harm the thing but at least it would give the others time to run and escape as I distract the thing. " Stay here" I told the kids as I approached the thing, gun at the ready. When I got closer, I noticed that this creature was one of the robot things from the incident in Chicago a few years ago. Finally all my studying was going to pay off but all the videos couldn't prepare my for how large these things were. This was the first time that I saw one of these creatures in real life and it was _**HUGE**_ !

I approached the bots' head and saw that its eyes were shut tightly and its mouth-thing gritted together as pain streamed through its body. I saw a weird dull pinkish liquid along with oil spill out of its body and onto the ground around its figure as I stepped in it and climbed its chest leaving a few pinkish foot prints on its body. All of my studying taught me that there are two sides, The Autobots and the Decepticons. The Decepticons were here to enslave humans, had red eyes, and a weird pointed face insignia while the Autobots were here to protect us humans, had blue eyes, and a human-like insignia. If this bot was indeed a decepticon, then we were screwed with really no weapons to defend ourselves. Keeping my gun pointed at the bots eyes, I searched for an insignia on its head or neck but I didn't spot one. I looked down and right where I was standing was a symbol but it was impossible to make out with it covered in dirt and with the darkness of night. Keeping my eyes on the things face and my finger on the trigger, I slowly knelt down and slowly began to wipe away the dirt. I was petrified that this was a 'con and that we all might as well be dead.

When all the dirt had been removed, I could make out a red Autobot insignia. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I placed my gun back into its holster and took a look at its injuries. I guessed that the bot was a male by his body figure and broad shoulders and that he was damaged quite badly on his right side with more of the pink liquid flowing out and with another a large wound on his upper left arm. His other in juries where minor but still would need to be looked at and fast because at the look of it, the bot won't last the night without medical attention. If cybertronians were like cars, then I could repair him.

Turning to the kids, I saw that they were still in the bushes and that they actually listened to me for once. Jumping off the bot I walked over to them, "Suzy, Cooper. Go get me my tool box and welder. Catlin and Chipper, go get me two large buckets filled with ice cold water. Quickly!" I told them as they ran back to the house. I walked back towards the bots' head and noticed he had many dents and scratches everywhere and that he was still breathing hard and fast in order to ease some of the pain. I hesitantly placed my hand on his cheek and start to rub as I spoke encouraging words to him; that everything was going to be alright.

After a few minutes for me talking to him, Suzy and Cooper came back with the tools with Catlin and Chipper trailing behind with a bucket of water. I took the water and tools as Catin and Chipper ran back to the house to get the other bucket of water. Turning back to the bots' head, I continued to rub his cheek. " Hey big guy.." I told him in a calm, soft voice as he seemed to acknowledge my presence with a moan." Shh..take it easy. I'm gonna help you but I need to weld some parts together. Its gonna hurt but you need to stay still." I told him as I smiled sadly at him. He grunted as in confirmation and then remained quiet. " I'll work as fast as I can." I finished as Catlin and Chipper came back with the other bucket. " Thanks, now get inside the house and stay there." I told them as I took the bucket from them. Chipper looked as though he was going to cry so without warning, he hugged my waist. "Be careful." he told me as he and Catlin left to the house. What I didn't know was that because of my actions tonight, our lives would change dramatically. Again.

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**What you guys think? Please review.**


	2. Helping Hand

**Yay! Chapter two, so yeah, i'm not going to post a new chapter like every day but i will do my best to get you guys the next chapters ASAP.**

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Grabbing my blow torch, putting my gloves on, and setting my shaded on top of my head, I moved over to the bots injury on his right side. When I closely inspected the wound, it was a broken pipe that was spewing the liquid all over the grass and out of his system. The pipe was only split so it only needed to be heated up and molded back into place and melted to fit the other end of the pipe but it would hurt the bot extremely bad and he was already in enough pain as it is. Shaking my head, I put the glasses over my eyes and started the torch. His body tensed up and prepared for what needed to be done and I frowned at that. Working as fast as I ever had, I heated the pipe until the entire thing was glowing red and orange and started to bend it back into place. The bot grunted loudly and I knew that he couldn't take much more as I finished bending the pipe and I molding it back together. Double checking the pipe and making sure that it was set, I grabbed the ice water bucket and poured the contents onto the pipe. He sighed in relief as steam arose from his body and the pipe soon turned back to its original gray color.

I looked at the bots face and saw that he was still recovering from the patch job with his eyes closed tightly together and teeth gritted together as he was breathing harshly. Looking at the other injury on his upper left arm, I saw that it wasn't as extent as the injury on his side so letting the bot rest a bit, I moved to repair his other injuries. The majority of those wounds consisted of sharp objects in his systems, disconnected wires, and small cuts on pipes that held the weird fluid and needed a little welding. Though the pipes need welding, they weren't enough to cause the bot more pain and so the treatment went smoothly.

When the minor injuries were treated, the only injury was on his arm and that one was going to require a lot of welding. The injury was just like the other injury but the pipe was still intact, only that the pipe had a large cut almost separating the pipe into two pieces. The entire pipe would need to be heated up and I would need to blend another piece of metal with the pipe. Looking around for metal, I grabbed the metal bucket that once held the ice water and noticed that the bucket would work. Cutting the bucket into large pieces with the welder, I measured roughly how much metal I would need an placed the hot metal into the other bucket to cool down.

Before I started, I walked over to the bots face and stroked its cheek again.

" I'm gonna have to weld again big guy. I'll be quick." I told him but he gave me no response this time and I was starting to worry. Quickly, I heated the metal pipe and scrap metal and blending them both together but the bot still managed to scream out in pain. It wasn't a pretty weld but at least it stopped the liquid from escaping from his body. Grabbing the undamaged bucket, I poured the water on the pipe and the pipe cooled down.

His injuries were taken care of and I removed the shades,gloves, and set the torch aside with the rest of my tools. Moving towards the bots' head, I continued to stroke his cheek and noticed that just about every part of his body was covered in dirt and forest foliage from his battle with the other four Decepticons. Taking out my cell-phone I called the house and told Suzy and Cooper to bring another bucket of water, rags, and a sponge. They agreed and said that they were on their way. Hanging up, continued to stroke the bots' cheek and continued to tell him that everything would be alright. His eyes and mouth were still closed but it was more like he was sleeping and that his breathing had slowed down and remained at a calm pace. He was getting better and for that, I was glad that I was able to help this bot be able to live another day.

Soon Suzy and Cooper came back with the supplies and went back to the house. Grabbing the sponge and rag, I dipped them into to bucket, I started to wash him. Wow, that sounded so wrong, giving a man-like creature a wash but I guess you could call it giving a car a wash seeing how most Transformers were vehicles. Wiping away all the junk and foliage from his body, I noticed that the bot had blue flames on top of red on his legs but his arms had red flames on top of blue. Being mindful about his wounds, I got in between most of the small spaces in between his armor with the rag. I finished with his chest and was about to start his neck is when I looked up and my eyes widened to the size of golf balls for I had a pair of amazing blue eyes staring back at me. Unknown to me, he was watching my every movement that I was wiping the gunk away.

I set the sponge and rag back into the bucket; without taking my eyes off his eyes and then moved about to his head as those eyes followed my still. No words were exchanged as we both seemed to be studying the other. If someone was to take a look into those eyes, it was like it was being in a trance. It seemed that those eye bore right into me, into my soul and could read me like a book.

After sometime, I finally got out of the trance from his eyes and talked to him.

"Hey big guy, how do you feel" I asked in concern with a small smile on my face. He continues to watch me with those eyes for a few moments before coming back to reality. He grunted and tried to speak but he was struggling to do so.

" Take it easy, you had sustained a few heavy injuries and I could only do so much in your repairs" I told him as I placed both my hands on his cheek in order to calm him down. He calmed down and relaxed a bit.

" Thank you for repairing me." he said in a strained voice as he turned his head in my direction after a few minutes of us just sitting their, me still stroking his cheek. I smiled at him.

" Its the least I could do since you and your team saved us from the Decepticons." I told him and he smiles at me.

" What is your name, if you don't mind me asking 'cause I don't thing I can keep callin' ya big guy all the time." I smile and he chuckles at my question as his eyes seem to light up more.

"My name is Optimus Prime."

My eyes widened knowing that I just saved the leader of the Autobots and the bot who led his team to save our lives so many times.

"Nice to meet you Optimus Prime. I'm Mindi Mallard." I told him, putting on the best smile I could as I told him my original name, not my fake last name but my real last name before the incident. He seemed to notice that my attitude change after I told him my name but before he could ask why, four figures emerged from the bushes. Grabbing my gun from its holster, I aimed at one of the figures but as soon as the gun came out, the figures came closer and an annoyed sigh escaped my mouth and the gun went back into the holster.

"What are you guys doing here? I told you all to stay in the house!" I yelled at the four, frustrated beyond belief.

"It wasn't our fault! Chipper ran out of the house for you 'cause he said he was scared. We chased after him but the little turd it fast!" Cooper stated back as chipper ran to me and hugged my waist again. Sighing, I sat down on my legs and brought chipper so that he was sitting in my lap and I signally the others to come closer.

"Guys, I want you to meet someone. This is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots." I told them as their eyes widened just like what happened to my own. Chuckling at their response, I turned to Optimus.

" Optimus, this is my family. Suzy," I told him pointing to the 14 year old girl with the dark brown, mid-back length hair and with the purple glasses."Catlin," pointing to the 14 year old girl who had the shoulder length, dark brown hair and pink side bangs." Cooper," pointing to the 13 year old boy who had light brown, shaggy hair that was half way down his forehead but slightly spiked in the front hair."and this little guy is Edward but everyone calls him Chipper." I finish grabbing Chipper around the waist making him giggle a bit. He was 7 years old and had dirty blond hair that was like Coopers but not spiked. Optimus smiled at them as they all give him a quick "hi" before going silent except Chipper. Optimus' eyes lie on Chipper as he smiles.

"Hello little one." Optimus told Chipper as Chipper looked at Optimus and waved his hand saying "Hi" really fast before burying his head back into my chest along with his hand as Optimus chuckled as I sighed shaking my head.

"Mr. Optimus sir, what happened to you." Catlin referred to his injuries.

Optimus told us about how he was on recon and was heading back to meet up with his comrades but was ambushed by five Decepticons. He offlined one 'con but the others were stronger then the first. He sent out a SOS to his Autobots but their comm. Links where being blocked and that he held out as long as he could before he couldn't handle it and collapsed. I told him how I have an heat signature cloaking device and when he collapsed, I turned it on that that soon the 'cons where gone.

"Thank you for everything Mindi." Optimus said to me has he nodded his head to me in gratitude. I smiled and nodded back as Optimus turned his head to its original position, closed his eyes and sighed.

"Alright, time for you guys to go home and go to bed this time" I told the little ones, lifting Chipper off my lap and into Suzy's awaiting arms.

"I'm gonna stay with Optimus tonight." I said as they started to leave.

"Be careful." Suzy told with concern.

" Hey, its my job to tell you that and to watch out after you guys." I tell her as she rolls her eyes." Goodnight you guys." I finish as I hear a them say "Goodnight" before disappearing behind the bushes.

I turned to Optimus and sat down next to his head but I noticed that his head was still dirty and that I forgot to wash it. Grabbing the rag and dipping it into the water bucket and bringing the bucket closer to Optimus, I stroke his cheek again.

"Hey Optimus, I'm gonna wipe away the gunk from your neck and head real fast, O.K." I said as his eyes opened again and he nodded. He lifted his head up a bit and when I started to remove the dirt, he seemed to relax a bit at my efforts to remove to gunk.

"You have quite a kind family, Mindi" Optimus stated as I finished his neck and move to his jaw line and the left side of his face. I sighed.

" They've been through a lot in the past few months. Cooper and Catlin are my cousins while Suzy and Chipper are my actual siblings, but I've taken all of them into custody and made sure that they were safe." I stated as I moved to clean his right cheek and into all the tight spaces. His eyes seemed confused at my statement.

"What happened to your creators ?" he asked as I finished his cheek and moved to his antenna. He lightly gasped, but then closed his eyes and I could have swore that I could hear him purr. I stared at him in surprise but I guessed that they were sensitive and that this wasn't causing him pain. Remembering his question, I sighed again remembering that dreadful day.

"Our family was killed at a family get-together in an explosion caused by a Decepticon." I told him bluntly.

He stopped purring and opens his eyes wide; turning his head in my direction. I shut my eyes tightly together as I stop wiping his head as I force myself not to cry. Shaking it off, I continue to wipe the top of his head and started to make my way down the right side of his head. Optimus' eye sadden and his face saddens.

"I'm terrible sorry for your lost Mindi." He told my with a sad voice and regret.

"Stop looking like that, there was nothing you could had done. No one could had for no one expected it. It happened in Orlando, Florida about five months ago." I told him as I started to clean Optimus' other antenna and Optimus started to purr again but kept his eyes on me.

"I was informed that everyone belonging to that family had perished in the explosion." Optimus told me. Shaking my head I answered him.

"That's what everyone believed. The bodies were so damaged that there was hardly anything left to salvage and identify. That's why I moved the kids up here. I didn't want anyone to recognize us and take the kids to an orphanage and have us be separated from each other. We are all we have left and I would rip anyone to shreds before I let anyone take them away from me." I told him in a threatening voice at the end to put emphasis on my statement. I would do anything to keep us together. I moved to Optimus' cheek as I hear his systems start to shut down. Looking at his eyes, I see they are dimming in the form of him trying to stay awake. Soon I finished cleaning him and I threw the rag over my shoulder, bumped the dirty water next to a tree, threw the rag into the bucket, and I rubbed Optimus' head, trying to relax him.

" Go to sleep Optimus, you need rest if you are going to heal" I told him but he seemed to be unable to sleep. Taking out my Ipod from my back pocket, I turned on some of my instrumental music that was slow and peaceful. Soon Optimus was out of it and I was slowly right behind him. I swear I was going to collapses, I was so exhausted after working hard and over-time all week, getting little sleep with the little ones having nightmares about what happened and staying up with them up night, and now repairing Optimus and cleaning him for over three and a half hours. Settling myself against Optimus' head and his uninjured right arm, I soon found myself in a mush needed rest.

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**How did i do? Plz review! Any questions, please do not be afraid to ask me. I fixed the errors and i plan on uploading the next chapter soon.**


	3. The dream and being takened

**Chapter 3. Hope y'all like it.**

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It was hot outside but it was a comforting warmth that I was born into and raised in. Today was our family get-together and Cooper, Catlin,Suzy, Chipper and I were playing around outside while the parents and my youngest sister, Jennie, were inside the pavilion talking and setting up the food and tables.

Laughing and running and just plainly having a good time. The little ones and I were just playing with a soccer keeping it away from the others. They were all just running around like crazy, trying to get the ball away from my but I was don't all sorts of tricks to keep it away and laughing at their attempts at the ball.

When all of a sudden, we all hear a huge bomb going off. Turning our heads, we all scream out as loud as we ever had in our lives. The pavilion was gone and pieces of the building went flying everywhere as a enormous cloud of orange, red and black arose from where the pavilion once stood. The cloud reached at least 200 feet in the air and the cloud was so bright that it lit up everything, the surrounding plant life, cars, and us. The kids were all screaming for our parents and crying out loud and started running towards the pavilion but stopped at the sight of a creature that would haunt our dreams for many years. The outline of a giant robot stood right behind the burning inferno of the pavilion, starring at us with those bloodly red eyes. We all ran to my fathers car and I started to drive away but those eyes followed me. Driving onto the dirt road, I drove as fast as the car could go but those eyes followed. I could hear the screams of all our loved ones all around me as the kids screamed to go fast and that the thing was following us. I kept driving but all the while I was screaming for the voices to stop and tears ran down my face. My surrounding faded to black and the voices got louder. Then the car was gone and I was alone as the voices stopped. I screamed for the kids but nothing.

Then the voices started again only it wasn't the same, it was the pleas for help coming from the kids. I couldn't locate the source so I just ran strait and hoped to find them. They sounded like they where in pain and they just kept screaming out my name. I hear Chipper's voice screaming "No!No! Stay away ! Mindi, Help Me!" he cried out as I hear evil laughter in the back ground.

"Chipper!" I screamed out as the other voices are silenced as his screams get louder. "Leave them alone! They're only kids!" I scream out loud to the laughing voice.

"Mindi!" I hear all thing scream out and then everything went silent. All of a sudden it started to rain. I just fell to my knees. " Suzy. Catlin. Cooper. Chipper." I cry out, my voice strained. I brought my hands to my eyes and cried but as soon as I brought my hands up, I realized that it wasn't raining water. It was raining blood and I was covered with it. I started shaking a breathing hard and I started to look up, regretting my decision for right above me was the bodies of my family; dead. They all were hung from their necks and the adults were all burned and bones where showing from loose skin just hanging there just like my sister, Jennie. The kids were a different story. They all were hung and they had cuts running all down their bodies and they had their stomachs cut open with their intestines hanging out and dangling. The blood rain was coming from their bodies and soaking me but their was one missing. "Chipper!" I screamed out searching for him everywhere but having no luck. I ran and ran, searching for him until I found him. He was highlighted but an unknown light and was just laying there in a pool of his own blood. I ean to him and saw he was just like the others but was alive; barley. I cradled him in my arms and cried. "Chipper." I called to him as his eyes were open but not focused on anything.

"It hurts Mindi. It hurts." He told me, his voice very weak. "You failed mommy and daddy. You told them that you would protect us; protect me. You failed them." he told me as his breathing stopped and his body went limp in my arms. I hung my head down low and cried as the blood rain poured down harder.

Why me! What have I ever done to the world to deserve this! All I did was sit their and cried as the evil laughing got louder and louder.

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"No!" I yelled out as I jolted up and breathed heavily in a cold sweat. Looking around, I noticed that I was still resting against Optimus' shoulder outside. It was only a dream. Thanks God it was only a dream. I haven't been able to get that dream out of my head. That dream has been occurring ever since that day and has hardly changed. Looking at Optimus, I found that he was still asleep and he needed it. Taking out my Ipod, I noticed that it was four a.m. Sighing, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep so I checked on Prime's wounds. They were still holding up and were still all good.. I took my position back on Optimus' shoulder and just rested.

I turned my head and just watched him rest. He seemed relaxed for the moment but then he tensed up and sucked in a large amount of air. His eyes and teeth closed tightly together like he had earlier when his injuries weren't taken care of. I wasn't sure what was causing him pain, so all I could do to ease his pain was by rubbing his cheek.

"Shh Optimus, take it easy. It's OK. It's OK." I told him as I continued to stroke his cheek. After a few minutes, Optimus calmed down and he back to resting. I smiled at this. I took my position back on his shoulder and rested for about ten minutes until the bushes started to rustled. Standing up, I removed my gun from it's holster and had it on stand by.

Without even a warning, I was tackled down to the ground by two military men and my gun was ripped out of my hands. My arms where pined behind my back and hand cuffed as I was yanked off the ground.

"What the Hell!" I shouted as I saw two Cybertronians were standing above me and they were examining Optimus. I could tell that they were Autobots by their blue eyes but I couldn't make out what they were saying for it sounded like they were talking in their native language. I was being led to an army vehicle when loud screams were heard. It sounded as though it was children screaming. My kids.

"No!" I screamed as I knew that someone was harming my kids. Spinning around and kicking the men off me, I ran towards the house with my hands still cuffed and the men trailing behind. When I arrived at the house I saw that more military entering my home and dragging out the kids in their pajamas. The older ones where handcuffed but Chipper was taken by his arm and dragged to a black SUV. "Chipper!" I yelled out him as I saw the man holding him struggle to keep a tight hold on him and tried to but Catlin in the car. Chipper saw me as he got our of the man's grip and ran towards me.

"Mindi!" he yelled back as I got down on my knees and he hugged me as I did the same as the best I could. He started to cry, saying he was scared. The two military men grabbed me as the other grabbed Chipper and tore us apart, no matter how hard he screamed and cried. I could hear the other ones crying out my name from inside the cars.

"I promise, everything is going to be alright! I will do everything to make sure of it!" I screamed to then as the men threw me into an SUV and drove off. I watched the kids as the distance between us grew and soon they were out of me sight. All I could do now was look out the window and think of how I can get my family back.

After diving for about 15 minutes, we came upon an airstrip that contained two C-17's and a private jet. One C-17 was all closed up and the other one contained two black SUV, a red Ferrari, and a silver corvette Stingray all packed inside. I was placed inside the jet and my handcuffs came off but were cuffed in my front and a chain that was connected to the chair. Sighing, I stared out the window as we took off and I gripped the chair tightly as this was the first time I had ever been a plane, let alone a jet.

"Gees kid. Calm down." a man that I didn't notice before was sitting diagonally from me in a chair identical to mine. He was dressed in a military uniform that had the name 'Lennox' on the left side of his chest with slightly spiked, black hair.

"I've never been a plane before." I told him as a woman with a file in her hand and an african- american came from the back of the plane a the woman sat infront of my as the other guy took his seat next to Lennox. The african-american had the same uniform on but the name said Epps and has no hair while the woman in front of me had her right leg on top of her left, had long dirty blond hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a black suit with a silky purple top underneath.

"Alright Miss Mindi Mallard," said the woman taking the file and opening it. " you are supposed to be dead along with the kids from an explosion down in Orlando Florida for about five months now." she told me as if I didn't know that. " Please explain." she said as she closed the file, lied it in her lap, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Sighing, I lowered my head and told them my story.

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**Well? Plz review.**


	4. My story and the decision

**Hey y'all heres the next chapter. I won't be able to update as often due to the lack of ideas for this point of the story so any ideas?**

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Laying my head in my hands, I sighed and remembered that day. I remembered everything that happened as if it were yesterday.

"It was a hot day on Orlando but it wasn't uncomfortable since I was raised in the weather. My family were driving out to our annual family get-together. It was the six of us: my mother, father, two sisters, my brother and I. We arrived last, as usual, and make our way into the pavilion to greet the rest of our family. It was a normal get-together, or at least as normal as it is with us Mallerds, playing kick ball, climbing trees, shoving our faces full with food, dancing, and saying grace." I told them bringing my head up and resting it on the head rest but still looking down. I smiled at the memory of all of us just having a great time and just not giving a care in the world. " Even with the incident in Chicago, we weren't going to let some robots scare us and keep us Mallerds apart. Anyway, after saying grace and eating, the kids and I; save for my youngest sister, Jennie, left the pavilion with a soccer ball and just started playing 'keep away' with each other . I don't know how long we played for but it seemed like for an hour due to the amount of sweat on our bodies when," I paused, my smile long gone and my breathing hitched as the though came back to mind.

The woman never moved from when I started my story but Epps and Lennox both seemed interested in my story but their faces did show dread and sorrow in their eyes.

" Well?" the woman asked getting aggravated at the such long pause in my story as her right fingers started to tap along her left arm.

" Give her a break Mearing. She's been through a lot." Lennox told her as he leaned forward and gripped my shoulder. I looked at his hand first, then his face. He gave me a comforting smile and I smiled a bit at it.

"When the pavilion exploded. The whole area glowed in orange and an enormous cloud of black rose from where the pavilion stood. We screamed for our parents and family as we ran to the pavilion to check if survivors. I got there before the kids and I.. I saw everyone that I loved ..gone." I paused again remembering their bodies." They were all burned up and pieces of them lied everywhere. I couldn't tell who was who, they were so bad." I stated as I brought my arm up to my mouth at that though and I fought back against the tears that started to form in my eyes. After a few silent moments, I continued. "I knew that no one survived. I turned the kids around when they got to the pavilion and started them away from the pavilion. They were crying hard and pushed against me to get to the others but I stopped them. I took them to the parking lot when I turned around and I saw a pair of large, red eyes, starring at me through the flames of the burning pavilion." I stopped as I started to get mad, remembering that a Decepticon caused the explosion, that took my family away from me. " I grabbed the kids and I told them to run. We ran to my fathers truck and I grabbed the keys that he kept in the glove compartment and we drove off. The kids were still crying, screaming for our family while I drove away but in the review mirror, I saw that those bloody red eyes where still watching me as escaped. I drove to the closest of our homes, Catlin's home, and I told her to pack a few things and bare essentials." I told them as my breathing returned to normal and I calmed down a bit.

" Why didn't you go to the police? They could had helped you." Epps asked, leaning in and resting his arms on his legs. Lennox, long removed his arm from my shoulder leaning back into his chair and tried to processed everything I just told them."

"I knew that it was just a matter of time before they would send us to an orphanage and have our family torn apart and I wasn't gonna let that happen to them. They been through enough and they need each other 'cause we are all we have left." I answered him and I went back to my story. " After taking Catlin home to get her things, I did the sane for Cooper and then we all went to Suzy's, Chipper's, and mine home to get our things. I grabbed my father's gun and knifes and after we spent the night there, we all set out to North Carolina where my grandmother has a cabin that my grandfather made with his bare hands. When we got there, I had to work two jobs. One at a mechanic shop and the other was a a music store. I had to do it in order to keep food on the table for the kids and myself. That happened for about five months before the I found Optimus in the forest." I finished and I breathed a sigh of relief. I told them everything that happened from the explosion to the jobs.

Lennox and Epps still had sorrow and dread filled eyes while Mearing expression had not changed, what so ever. She opened the file, reached into her jacket and pulled out a pen and wrote something down in the file.

" What did you do to the bot?" Mearing asked me as bluntly as possible.

" Well, _Optimus_ was wounded and bleeding a weird liquid all over the place and at the best of my ablities, I repaired him. I fixed up a few broken pipes, reconnected some wires, and cleaned him up." I stated, highlighting that 'the bot' had a name. I mean he's Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. Show him some respect. Remembering the woods and the repairs I did to Optimus, I noticed that the kids weren't on the jet with us." Where are my kids?" I demanded, having the right to know.

"They are being taken care of." Mearing flat-out told me, not reassuring to me at all but what could I do about it. We were thousands of feet in the air in a jet going to an unknown location. Deciding that we were done here, I just looked out the window and stayed there not answering anymore questions.

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About two hours later, we landed onto an airstrip and got off the jet and into another black SUV. The drive was silent with myself in the back and two men in army uniforms identical to Lennox and Epps uniforms. Mearing, Epps, and Lennox were in another SUV that ahead of us, leading me to the destination. When the cars stopped at a gate with four security guards blocking the entrance to the building labeled ' Health and Human Services'. One of the men came to the first car's driver side and started saying something and the driver showed him something. The guard nodded, backed up, and waved his arm acknowledging for us to move along. The gates parted and when drove threw them, the cars stopped and the two military men from the front of the car came and dragged me out of the car, threw some gates and led down a hallway.

Soon we stopped at a door and I was thrown into the room with my cuffs still on my wrist behind my back. Picking myself off the ground, I saw that the room I was in had a large metal table in the middle off the room with a metal chair on each end, a bed on the right side of the room, and a bathroom at the end of the bed. How am I going to use the bathroom with my hands cuffed behind my back.

Shaking my head, I just sat on the edge of the bed. I really didn't care what happened to me, all I wanted was to make sure that my kids were alright and the we all stayed together as a family. I didn't know how long I sat there; it felt like an eternity though, until Lennox, Mearing and Epps came back with a older man and a Italian man.

The older man had blonde going on to gray hair that was pulled into a loose ponytail while wearing a faded dark green shirt with a red stripe going down the left side, blue jeans, and brown dress shoes. His eyes were bright blue that seemed to be glowing.

The other was about mid 20's and had black hair that was like Coopers; slightly spiked in the front. He wore a black shirt with a red leather jacket, dark red jeans and had a pair of red and black Vans on. He, much like the older man, had a pair of bright blue eyes that glowed.

The older man came up behind me and took the cuffs off. I thanked him and rubbed my wrist as he took my wrist and examined them. They were red and they hurt but other than that, it wasn't that bad.

" Miss Mindi Mallerd, you are illegally in possession of a gun that doesn't belong to you nor are you old enough to own one. You are keeping children in a unsafe environment and are leaving them for large amounts of time. It is irresponsible and there fore, I have no choice but to take the kids from your ' custody' and send them to a good home." Mearing told me as she closed the file and stared at me.

That is when I lost it.

I jumped off the bed and I charged at her but Lennox, Epps, and the Italian grabbed me; holding me back inches away from Mearings face. I struggled to get out of their grips but the three of them were too strong.

"Y'all can't do that! They're my family! Y'all can't just tear us apart like that, we have rights to stay a family!" I screamed at her. She couldn't do this, not after all we just been through and what I had to do to keep us together. I swore on my parents grave that I would protect them and keep them safe.

" I can and will. Those children still have a future, unlike you after this incident. Those children deserve to live a life with a _real_ family, someone who will take care of them and keep them happy and healthy." she told me wiping some of my spit that landed on her through all my yelling.

" But I have been taking care of them and keeping them happy and healthy. I work long, hard hours to make sure that I have food on the table for them and that we have electricity in the home. When they scream for our family at the middle of the night, I'm right there for them all night. We are happy 'cause we are all together and there for each other." I stated as she must stood there listening to what I was saying.

" It's already done. Tomorrow morning, those children will be on there way to the closest orphanage where they will be given good homes." she stated as she turned and headed out the door.

" But they'll be separated from each other. They need each other now, more than ever." I screamed at her but it fell on deaf ears as she left. I continued to struggle out of the men grips for as long as I could but soon I got tired and just fell limp. I fell to my knees and tried to catch my breath and I just stared blankly at the ground in defeat. I would never see my family again. I failed my parents, I failed my kids, I failed. I felt myself being picked up and placed on the bed though I didn't see who did. I felt someone grab my wrist gently and rubbed where the cuffs had left red marks though I really didn't care.

I truly didn't care if I was thrown in prison for the rest of my life, all I cared about was my kids and now that their gone, my life had no meaning anymore.

"Your wrist should return to its normal color in a day or so." the man who was holding my wrist told me as he continued to rub where my wrist were red. " I'm so sorry for all that you have been through Mindi" the older man told me as he placed his hand on my should as he told me in a soft and calm voice. I turned my head in his direction and I looked right into his eyes.

" How's Optimus?" I asked knowing that these men are part of Optimus' team. The older man seemed to smile a bit at my question.

" Optimus is doing fine. He's in stasis lock but he will pull through, thanks to you" he told me placing his hand on my shoulder and griping slightly. I gave him a confused look. What was stasis lock. "a coma if you will, but he should wake up soon." he told me, noticing my confusion. Nodding my head, I stared back at the floor. At least one good thing came out from all this.

" Epps, you and Mirage see if you can get her some new clothes." the older man told the Italian man and Epps. They nodded and left, leaving me here with Lennox and the older man. Lennox keeled in front of me and he look strait into my eyes. "There's a shower in the bathroom if you want to get cleaned up and we'll bring you come new clothes while we wash yours." he told he as if he was talking to his daughter. I didn't do anything but nod my head at him. He stood up and placed his hand on my forearm and lead me to the bathroom but before he let go of me, I heard his whisper a quick "I'm so sorry Mindi." and then left along with the older man leaving alone in the door way of the bathroom.

Sighing, I walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I saw that a large white towel was placed on the counter near the sink and mirror. Standing in front of the mirror, I stood in front of it and got a look at myself. My clothes and skin were covered in dirt and some of that pink liquid that came from Optimus' body and my hair black hair that was in a high pony tail, was hanging loose and freely and my navy blue tips were all clumped together and some parts were pink from Optimus' blood I guess. I turn on the shower, striped off my clothes off and lied them on the table, and stepped into the shower.

It has been so long since I had a nice, long, hot shower. Ever since the incident, I hadn't had the time to relax and allow me to have some me time. I did have showers, but I would usually get all the cold water due to all the kids. I just stood there, enjoying the hot water but I knew that I had to get cleaned off and find a way to get to my kids before Mearing took them away.

After my shower, I stepped out of the bathroom with my towel on, and noticed that there on the bed was a clean green army t-shirt, a pair of camo pants, and a pair of military boots that were actually my size. I saw that my dirty clothes were still there on the table so after putting on my underclothes, I put the large shirt and pants on. The only problem was that the clothes were too big on me. Grabbing my pants, I took the rope belt off my pants and put them on the larger pants after I tucked in the shirt. The clothes fit well after a dew adjustments. I put my hair back up into a pony tail and sat down on the bed.

There had to be a way to get to my kids and I was going to find out if it was the last thing I did.

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**so what do you guys think. R&R**


	5. The Escape

**Yay! Chapter 5. Ideas are welcomed!**

* * *

I was lying in the bed for about four hours, acting I was asleep but I was planning how do I get my kids out of here and away from the feds with me. I was on my left side, lying my head in my left arm and bring my legs closer to my chest with the shoes still on.

Alright, what do I know. The guards walked me down a hallway for about five minutes; passing about eight doors, before we turned right at a T intersection; one way going right the other going straight with a door at the end with two more guards. Walked for two minutes 'til we turned left then to the door that lead to my cell. We walked for seven minutes, passing 9 doors beside my own and the hallways have at least five guards patrolling the halls at all times carried guns ranging from M-4's to 9 mm pistols.

There are cameras about every twenty feet apart from each other; rotating from left to right leaving a blind spot where the doors are. There is my way around the cameras.

The guards look all the same with the uniforms and helmets they wear. Get in and get out quick with the doors and be quiet is all I can do. The guards outside is another story. The guards check the cars and companions at the gate before going through the gate. I need to get in a disguise and get past the gate. That is going to be the hard part. I need to make it along as I go.

Now the doors. I had a hair pin and a paper clip that I found in the bathroom in my pants that I could use to unlock the other doors but I would need to do it quickly in order to not be spot but first I needed to get past my door. The door had a password to get in but a handle in here that locks when the door is closed with a key pad in here and there's a camera in the corner of the room. I need to play it up so I don't look conspicuous.. I could play sick but they probably wouldn't believe me but I still had Optimus' blood on my arms. It was like fake blood; it would stain skin temporarily. Some parts of my arm was partly pink. I could pretend that I was having a bad reaction to the liquid in my sleep but how would I get away from the guards and the medic. I didn't want to hurt anyone, I just wanted to get my kids out and keep them safe and together.

It was about seven in the morning and Mearing was going to send then away in a few hours. I got about two hours to full proof my plan. Until the monkey wrench was thrown in.

I hear the door open up footsteps getting closer to me and I heard the door closed. Someone was in here with me and was walking closer to the bed. I don't know who it was but the person made the bed shift as it sat down. The figure lust sat there for a while before it did something I hadn't felt in a long time.

The figure started to rub my back in comfort. I haven't someone do that since my grandmother died about three months before the incident . It felt nice to have someone do that to me again.

"I'm so sorry for everything that you've been through. I can't help but feel that everything that happened is my fault. If only I had recharged, I would've had enough energy to take on those Decepticons." the figure told me. The figure was a man and I knew that I heard that voice before.

I opened my eyes and saw that there was a man sitting on the edge of the bed, continuing to rub my back. He was about 35 years old and had short,shaggy, black hair, wore a navy blue t-shirt with a red jacket along with navy blue jeans and black Shawn White shoes. Though his eyes were what dragged me in. It was as though those eyes seeped deep into my soul and read me like a book and I knew only one person who had eyes like that. More like machine.

"Optimus?" I questioned not really believing that it was possible for a giant robot to be human. He nodded and stopped rubbing my back but placed his hand on my forearm. I sat up and we just stared at each other for a while, just like back at the forest. "Are you alright?" I asked him, continuing to stare at his eyes. Optimus slightly smiled.

" Better, thanks to you." he told me as he started to rub my arm in comfort. I just stared at him, wondering how it was possible that he was here like this; as a human. He chuckled at my confusion. " It's a holoform. We can create images of ourselves to make up blend in to our society." he told me as I reached out and touched his arm to see if my arm would go through but it didn't it felt as though it was touching another human, not just a projection. He watched as my arm went from his arm to his shoulder and then to his chest. He felt so real, I could feel his heart pumping and the amount of heat coming off his body.

" It feels so real." I told him as his hand makes it to my cheek, caressing it like how my father did. I took my hand off his chest and used both my hands to grab his arm as I leaned into the touch of his hand and I closed my eyes. I felt it was as though I was back home and that everything in the world was alright. I didn't care that this 'human' in front of me wasn't real, all I cared about was that I had someone that I could count on. In all this time, I didn't even think about the kids and how they were about to leave and be sent to an orphanage. My mood changed at the though of us being seperated.

"Mindi, what wrong?" Optimus asked me as is caressing stopped and his face expression changed to concern. I looked up at him then back to the ground.

" Mearing is sending the little ones away from me and to an orphanage were they will be seperated and taken to different families." I told him. His expression changed and soon he just, disappeared. The man that was just sitting here, caressing my cheek, just disappeared. Optimus must had turned his holoform projector off.

Shaking me head, I went back to planning my escape. Now the whole 'fake being ill' thing isn't going to work. Great. Now what do I do. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it read 7:46 am. Casually looking around the room, I saw that there was absolutely nothing in here that could help. Unless I had an idiot walk through the door and leaving it open, I was screwed.

* * *

I was thinking for about two hours, about every little detail. Every possibility. Nothing. I couldn't figure out a way out of here. Soon two men came into the room.

The men, or should I say teenagers, weren't wearing any military equipment or uniforms; but they were wearing casual clothes. The one with the cuffs had black hair with red tips and was wearing a shirt with a pair of black jeans with a pair of black and red Van's. The teen next to him was just like him but had green tips and a green t-shirt with black zing-zag's doing down his shirt and had a pair of black and green Van's. Both of them had bright blue eyes and both and a tan.

" Come with us along quietly." the one with the cuffs said to me. I nodded at them and they cuffed my hands and led me out of the room.

The halls were still filled with the guards bur the cameras stopped moving and the lights that blinked next to the lens didn't blink any more. That got me concerned. What was wrong them. Suddenly there was a loud boom coming out of nowhere and all the lights out.

"Yo, man! Who killed the lights!." one of the teen said out loud in the dark.

"Good, now no one can see your ugly face!" The other one said as I felt one of them release one of their hands from me and shoved the other one.

" Ugly, were twin you stupid genius" the first one said as both of them let me go and I head a thump and shouts to each other. The idiots were wrestling each other with me standing in the dark, ready for an escape. Perfect.

While those two were busy, I ran. I stayed close to the wall in case I felt a door in could hide in when the lights came back on. I felt something hard hit my right hip and I stopped. I turned around and felt around until I got the door handle in my hands and I think God was looking after me for the door was unlocked. I jumped in the room and shut it behind me as quietly as I could. I walked a bit until I hit something with my foot and it rolled a bit and stopped. Shaking my head, I needed to get these cuffs off. With difficulty, I jumped and swung my arms under my legs and brought them to my front but fell onto my ass, but thank God that I took the time to practice these type of things at the cabin for situations like this but my butt still hurt. Now for the fun part. Getting the cuffs off. I lied down on the ground on my back and reached into my pocket, grabbed the pin and clip and straightened out the clip and searched for the key hole.

Where is that frigging key hole. Then the emergency lights came on but knew that I little time before I was caught. Quickly I found the hole and placed both the clip and the pin in the cuffs and started to pick them. I could still hear the two teens wrestling down the hall but I needed to drown them out. I needed to concentrate.

I heard a soft _Click, _sound and the cuffs came off and clashed with the floor. Now with that out of the way, I needed something to disguise myself from the others. Looking around, I was that I was in a laundry room and saw military uniforms everywhere. I didn't care if it was dirty or not, all I needed was go get me to the gate before I kids left. I took one of the camo jackets off a hook and placed it on. Their was a name on the left side of the chestalong with a card in the pocket with the same name on it and a bar code on it. What the name was it what shocked me. It read _Mallard T._

T. Mallard? What the hell! Why was my last name on the jacket. Mallard wasn't a every popular name and I did have a family member with a first name beginning with a T. It was my uncle Tim. But that was impossible. He was a firefighter not a military soldier. Maybe it wasn't his, maybe there was another man with my last name. Not being to sure of that option, I continued on with my plan but keeping the though in the back of my mind. Who was T. Mallard?

I grabbed a military helmet off a shelf and hid my hair into it before putting it on and placed on the jacket. Finding myself presentable, I walked out of the room with my heart pounding and my hands sweaty.

Looking both ways down the hall, I saw that the two teens where still wrestling and were paying my no attention. Standing up straight, I had to go in the reverse order I came from. It was straight for eight, right for two, and then to my door. Now I had to go right for two and straight for eight. Turning right, I saw that the halls were basically empty save for the few guards that were running in all directions to get the main lights back on.

This is getting too easy. Continuing walking, I saw a soldier walk out if one of the doors that I just passed. He was just like the other soldiers; wearing a camo military uniform but he was wearing a pair of black sunglasses on. He stared to walk in my direction and getting closer. My breathing started to get faster as sweat started to form under my helmet. I couldn't get caught now, not when I'm so close. After about two minutes of walking, I turned right and saw that the man followed my every step.

I walked for about a minute before a pair of hands grabbed my waist and dragged my into a door and the door shut closed. The hand then pressed me into the wall and ripped off my helmet, having my pony tail spill out and I saw that we were in a maintenance closet. I struggled to get out of his grip but he was too strong. He smiled at me as I continued to struggle in his grasp.

"What are you trying to do Mindi, escape?" he asked me as I stopped struggling when I heard his voice.

" Optimus?" I asked. He chuckled at my expression and with a quick flash of blue, the figure went from a soldier to Opimus' holoform. He released my arms and I just stood there dumbfounded. " how did you know it was me." I asked him as I crossed my arms over my chest.

" When the lights came back on, the camera's did as well. I saw you in the room getting the hand cuffs off and putting on the uniform on the monitors." he told me. I sighed as I knew that there was no way that I was going to get my kids now. " What were you trying to do Mindi?" He asked me.

"I was trying to get back to my kids before Mearing took them away." I told him with my anger starting to come out. His eyes softened as his smile disappeared. I looked away from him as I knew that I was probably going to get into more trouble for trying to escape from a federal 'prison'. He took my arm in his hand and I turned to face him.

" Come with me." he told me as he opened the door. I nodded as he let go of my arm and I followed him, not knowing where we were going but really didn't care. It was about 10:30 and I had no doubt that Mearing had taken the kids off base and sent them away. My plan failed just like everything else had. I failed my family and now my kids. What more could go wrong!

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**Little does she relise, is that there's much more to come! R&R**


	6. Author's Note

Hey y'all, sorry for not updating in so long but with school, family, and projects I have going on, I don't see to have time to post new chapters. I desided yo re-write this story for I'M lost on what to do. I have an idea on what I'm gonna do but not entirely. Sorry you guys. I promise I will update my story ASAP.

-BBgal1


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